Comets In The Night
by Doitsu
Summary: Even in the darkest of nights, loneliness is abated in the face of unexpected company. China/Russia


A/N: This is the first time I write China/Russia. This fic is dedicated to my best friend –Kimchi77-, who tried and succeeded in inspiring me to write this. Italia, this is for you, I stayed up until 2:20am!! Reviews make me happy and of course, I hope everyone enjoys this!

--888--

"Tell me… have you ever felt lonely?"

The cool breeze ran invisible fingers through his long hair, freeing a few more strands. Darkness surrounded him, embraced and reassured him.

The nation raised his head toward the dark sky. "Have you ever felt that the world is too young? That you are far older, no, far more ancient than anything that surrounds you?"

The words floated into the night, rose up, unheard, and were lost forever.

"Have you ever felt as though you were utterly alone?"

Alone. The word lingered in his mind, in the air around him, staying with him as the other words left.

Alone.

The wind turned and his black hair momentarily covered his eyes. China made no move to brush the strands back, focusing on the tickling sensation the light touch created. If he closed his eyes and tilted his head back, yes, just like that… then it almost felt like someone was caressing his face with light fingers…

And now, if he wound his arms around himself like this… and squeezed; yes, it almost felt like someone was holding him.

A sigh escaped. China wound his arms around himself tighter. Now, if only he could lean his head back, against someone's chest. Someone whose arms would keep him safe, someone who would take away the loneliness.

He stepped closer to the edge, gazing down at the churning waters, the black waves tipped with silver moonlight that rushed toward him, only to shatter upon hitting the wall below.

A voice behind him. "You should not be standing so close to the edge."

China stumbled, reaching out a hand to hold onto something, but before he could, his body was stopped from falling forward by a pipe ending in a faucet. China's eyes widened and he did not even have to turn around to know who had joined him. The pipe across his stomach pulled him further back from the edge and finally, with a daunting feeling, China faced the nation behind him.

Tall and foreboding, with dark eyes, amethyst-coloured where the moonlight hit them, stood Russia. He moved his pipe back to his side and gave a small smile. China shivered. The night seemed a little colder, all of a sudden.

"Good evening, Russia."

A small frown and a slow smile. "No need for such formalities, Yao. I have hardly come here to discuss business with you…"

"Right. Sorry, Ivan."

He nodded, lifting his eyes to the sky, just as China had, a few minutes before. A contemplative look crossed his face as his eyes searched the firmament.

China was holding his breath, waiting for Russia to speak again. At last, the tall nation turned his head to Yao again, fixing him in place with his intense gaze.

"I know why you are here tonight."

Silence. The waves crashed below.

"Tonight is indeed a night of loneliness. Just look at the stars." Russia pointed to the sky and the countless, bright stars. "Up there, all those stars are on their own, thousands of miles from each other… alone."

Yao's eyes widened. Russia had not lied. He knew why Yao had come up here and what he felt. But could he truly comprehend the depth of this loneliness? This feeling of complete alienation and solitude? Yao lowered his head, feeling those cursed tears gathering in his eyes.

A warm hand under his chin gently tilted his face up again. For a moment, Yao thought he saw a glimpse of understanding reflected in violet eyes. Then, Ivan turned to the sky again, keeping his hand under Yao's chin. Yao didn't mind. Ivan lifted his pipe with his other hand, pointing the faucet at two bright stars that Yao had not noticed before.

"Do you see those stars, Yao?"

The whispered words were spoken directly into his right ear, eliciting a shiver that had nothing to do with the outside temperature. Yao could only nod silently at Ivan's question. The warm hand left his chin and for a second, Yao missed the touch. The air felt especially cold where Russia's hand had been.

He nearly jumped when he felt Russia's left arm settling on his shoulders, the warm hand from before now resting on his left upper arm, pulling him closer to Russia almost imperceptibly. Yao stopped breathing for a moment, but then relaxed into the new-found safety of Russia's arms.

"They are actually not stars, they are comets. This is the night they are going to meet."

China fixed his eyes on the two lights, but he couldn't see the difference between them and the rest of the stars.

Russia's breath ghosted over his ear again. "Do you see how far they are from each other?"

A nod. "Mmh hm." Hopefully Russia would not notice the way his heart was beating faster and the way his face was heating up…

"Look at that one." Russia pointed to one of the comets, pulling Yao closer in the process, attempting to give him the same perspective as his. "Keep watching it."

Yao focused on the comet on the left. Glancing between the two comets, Yao could see that they were drawing closer to each other.

"Do you see that? They're moving."

Yao could feel Ivan's chest behind him and blushed, but he refused to move.

"They're coming closer… There!" Russia squeezed his shoulder; a look of nearly childish delight crossed his face.

Yao gasped. It looked as though the comets had collided, but no, that couldn't be. There was no flash, no bright light emitted. But just for a moment, the two comets seemed to be one comet, one light.

Inexplicably, the sight struck him speechless and he felt as though he was speeding into the sky to join those comets, just for a moment in time.

Ivan's arm around him loosened and suddenly, there were two comets again and with every second, the distance between them increased as they moved away from each other again. The sight saddened Yao and he followed his comet with his eyes, knowing that it was on its own again, and perhaps, forever.

"Why do they have to move away again? It's not fair."

Ivan turned to him and only then, Yao noticed he had spoken aloud.

"True. But don't you think that small encounter was worth it?"

Yao nodded quietly and swallowed. "It just seems so… pointless, so meaningless. They will never meet again."

Ivan frowned and turned to the sky. Yao watched his face, wondering at the wisdom he saw in those dark eyes.

"Their encounter was significant, because… for one small moment, those comets weren't alone…"

Their eyes met and an understanding passed between them. Yao nodded.

The warm arm left his shoulders and Ivan stepped away. He lifted his pipe in farewell, his eyes for once looking peaceful.

"Until we meet again."

Yao swallowed past a lump in his throat, unable to understand why it had formed. No words would come out of his mouth.

Russia turned around, slowly walking away. His beige coat and white scarf silently melted into the night.

Yao reached out a hand, struggling against the loneliness he felt closing in. Finally, he found his voice.

"Ivan!"

The figure in the distance stopped.

Yao trembled. "Thank you", he whispered, the wind ripping the words from his mouth and carrying them away, away.

Ivan tilted his head inquisitively.

A warm tear ran down Yao's face and he tasted its salty hope. For the last time, his voice broke out, bridging the distance between them for a moment in time.

"Until we meet again."

Ivan nodded and walked away into the night. Yao didn't know under which circumstances they would see each other again, or if they ever would, but somehow, he couldn't help but think that this encounter had been significant.

Because for one small moment, Russia and China hadn't been alone.

--888--

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